United in Faith

 

The parable of the good shepherd is one of my favorite passages for building faith that we can hear God’s voice. Recently as I was teaching from this passage, I gained this new perspective: I think faith was required of Jesus as well!  Jesus told this parable, found in John 10, to demonstrate the nature of relationship between Himself and people. He used the relationship between sheep and their shepherd as an analogy because this was common and familiar to His listeners.

Jesus clarifies that the shepherd in this parable is “good” and He states clearly in verse 11, that He is the good shepherd in the parable.  In the beginning of the parable (verses 1-5) Jesus is talking about how there is a good shepherd, but also strangers who would not enter by the gate and the sheep will not follow the voice of the stranger. In verse 6 we see some of John’s commentary.  He says that the people weren’t understanding what Jesus was saying. So, Jesus seems to start again in verse 7 saying that He is the doorway to the sheep and that those who enter through Him find life. The life sheep, representing people, receive in Jesus is full and abundant.  We see that in John 10:10, which reads “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Jesus goes on to say very confidently that He knows His sheep and that they know Him.

Verse 16 says this; “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” I have read this parable countless times. I have led scripture studies on this passage and preached about it many times as well. But recently it was the confidence of Jesus that caught my attention. When Jesus speaks of the sheep who are not yet part of His flock, I believe He is referencing those people who have not yet come to believe that Jesus is their savior and the Son of God. They are not yet connected to Jesus by faith.

I always look at this parable to show how God designed us to hear His voice.  We see in this passage the promises that we will hear and know God’s voice. It is also promised that we will know the difference between the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, and the voice of a stranger who may have ill intent towards us. (verses 5, 10, 14) These promises increase our faith that we were created to hear God’s voice and that we will!

But now I am also noticing that Jesus had faith! Jesus speaks with great faith in verse 16 of how the sheep who do not yet know Him, will soon hear His voice and come to belong among the flock. Jesus has faith for future believers. He has faith that they will hear and respond to His voice. In verse 17, Jesus says “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.”  Jesus is speaking of His future death on the cross. Jesus will lay down His life as a sacrifice for mankind. At the time of Jesus telling this parable, He had not yet done this. So even here, we see that Jesus had faith!  He had faith that He would lay down His life as a sacrifice and that it would accomplish life for those who believe in Him.

The definition of faith is given in Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is what we hold onto when we believe that God can do something but we don’t yet see it.  Faith holds the place between what is promised and our reality. Once we have what was promised we no longer need faith for that thing. 

Jesus had faith for His future followers.  For those who were not yet believers, Jesus had faith that they would hear His voice, come to believe in Him and that He would one day lay down His life for them to truly live. Jesus had enough faith in these things that He spoke of a future event, Him laying down His life, in the past tense (verse 17).

We know that we need faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is required for us to please God. All of how we relate to God is based in faith. But seldom do we consider the faith that Jesus had and still has. It is encouraging to think of Jesus also believing in the power of the Father to draw people to Jesus, to reveal the truth of His power in the earth. Jesus had faith in the Father and also in the power of what He would do.  Jesus has faith that we will hear and continue to hear His voice and that we will follow Him. Jesus had faith that He would sacrifice His life and that that act would grant eternal life to those who believe in Him. Jesus has faith that the enemy cannot take us from him! (see verses 27-29). Jesus has faith for His own connection to the Father as well. (verse 38)

We are never alone in faith! We are not alone in being connected to the Father by faith. We can find encouragement and rest in knowing that Jesus had faith for us to belong to Him, even before He died on the cross and was resurrected. He had faith for YOU; that you would one day belong to Him and know His voice.

Rest in the truth that you are united with Jesus in faith.